A man who was released from prison for theft and robbery attempt charges was sentenced to on November 16 “corrective training” and six strokes of the cane by Singapore authorities for attempted snatching and using threatening behavior with intent to cause alarm, The Straits Times reported.

Muhammad Noh Mohammad Jais, 31, who works as a car washer, pleaded guilty on October 10 to attempted snatch theft on a Myanmar housewife and using threatening behavior on a Filipina woman.

Corrective training is a prison regime for repeat offenders without the usual one-third remission for good behaviour.

According to court records, Muhammad Noh was loittering around a market on April 27 when he saw the pregnant Myanmar woman Aye Khin walking with a bag of grocery along a sheltered walkway. He followed the woman and waited for opportunity to snatch her wallet. As the pregnant woman got out of the lift, the defendant suddenly attempted to snatch her wallet. She, however, had a good grip of her purse and when shouted for help, Muhammad Noh pushed the woman before fleeing.

Later that day, Muhammad Noh spotted Filipina Jarina Ritcheal Caranza, 37, and tailed her. The Filipina became suspicious and asked why the man was following her. Muhammad Noh reportedly said “Give me money.”

She quickly pushed her main door open and shouted to her family members for help. Muhammad Noh ran away and fled down the staircase.

He was arrested two days later at Tampines MRT station.

Muhammad Noh had previous convictions for robbery in 2010 and was sentenced to six years in jail and caning in 2013 for theft and attempted robbery. He was released at the end of 2016.

District Judge Samuel Chua, who agreed that a sentence of corrective training was appropriate in this case, told Muhammad Noh that he was not deterred from his previous jail term and caning, and had re-offended within five months of his release.